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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. can — to be able to
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. last — final
  10. bulb — for light
  11. drill — the tool
  12. squash — the sport
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. squash — to crush
  15. drill — a practice
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. can — a tin
  19. last — finally
  20. bulb — for light
  21. last — to go on
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. wake — a trail
  24. can — a tin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com